2 Years, 3 Months, 5 days
by xxlostxangelxx
Summary: What if Lucas had never returned to Tree Hill at the beginning of season 2 set 2 years after the end of season 1


**A/N**

**Set: 2 years after the end of season 1, what if Lucas had never come back?**

**Inspiration: This was a dream I had (lol)**

**Please: Review, I'm getting so many views but not reviews!! Thanks**

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2 Years, 3 Months, and 5 days since Lucas Scott had left Tree Hill for Charlotte. He hadn't come back, not even once and yet as he stepped out of the car and onto the street that ran parallel to his old house, he knew he was home. Lucas who was now 18 had left Tree Hill with his Uncle Keith, and he had never looked back. Sure he tried to keep in touch with Haley, Nathan, Brooke, Peyton, Mouth and Skills but slowly they were all drifting away from him. His mom had visited many times in those two years but she barely spoke of home. Karen ran out of the house to greet her son, she had missed him dearly and gave him a massive hug. A lot had changed since he had left and Lucas was yet to know the half of it.

That night Lucas slept in his old bed, Karen had still kept is room exactly how he left it. His Uncle Keith slept on the sofa while Karen slept in her room with her economics professor, Andy Hargrove. After Lucas left Karen had started a college class to keep her occupied and to help expand the business; her and Andy had become romantically involved and had now left his luxury house, for Karen's humble home. She had expanded the business and now owned a bar and a club, things were going well for Karen but she hadn't wanted to give up her home just yet. Lucas hadn't seen his mom this happy in a while and he was pleased that she had moved on, that is what he was afraid of most when he left, Karen not moving on.

He could hear Keith snoring on the sofa, a sound he had gotten used to after sharing their apartment together, but he could also hear giggling from Karen's room. "Gross," he thought, he was pleased that she was happy, but this was his mom for heaven's sake! He groaned and turned over covering his ears with his pillow and fell into a deep slumber.

The next morning he woke up early at 7:00am. He was used to it since he woke up every day at that time in Charlotte, despite if it was a weekend or holidays. He put on a pair of tracksuits from his suitcase and plugged his iPod in and grabbed his basketball; everyone was still sleeping so that meant he could sneak out for a run around the familiar sites. He decided to head to the River Court first; this meant he had to pass through town though. Being a Saturday he thought that someone had to be there, especially Nathan who he hoped was still basketball crazy as he had been since Lucas had left. He wondered if Haley and Nathan were still together, they had been so in love when he had left despite their differences. He then began to wonder about Brooke and Peyton, he had left them the note, but he never got a response; had they read it? He walked through the familiar roads until he reached the long outstretched river next to the court. It was exactly how he had remembered it; however it was looking a little shabby. The court was empty which he thought was strange as usually Skills and the crew had always been with him bright and early every day. A lot had changed since Lucas had last seen Tree Hill and suddenly he was feeling like a stranger in his own hometown.  
He decided that he would shoot around by himself for a bit, he could do with the thinking time.

It wasn't long after he heard a car pull up on next to the court. He looked up to see a black BMW convertible with cream interior; he saw four people in it. Two in the front and two in the back, immediately he recognized the two girls, Brooke and Peyton. Brooke hadn't changed she was still the same girl she was when he had left although now her hair was longer yet her styling was still the same. Peyton, on the other hand, had straightened her hair and had change dramatically; she had become more girlie, as she was wearing black tights, underneath a red dress which had been secured by a black belt. Both girls wore high heels that clacked on the Tarmac of the court. They were both laughing at the two guys they had arrived with. Lucas stared at both of them they were still as hypnotising as they had been when he went out with them.

Both girls clung onto their boyfriends but stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Lucas.

"Luke?" one of the guys asked. It was Jake; he had Peyton on his arm. They had been an item for over a year now and were very much in love. He had aged a bit, but they all had; however he had that little bit more. Lucas looked at him, trying to put a name to the familiar face.

"Jagelski?" he replied, walking forward toward them. "Great to see you man! How's Jenny?"

Jake smiled at his old friend, he removed Peyton's arm from his and greeted his old friend with a hug. "When did you get back?"

" Last night. It was a last minute thing what with school and such."

"Oh urmm," said Jake gesturing to Peyton. "You remember Peyton right?" he asked as Peyton shuffled toward her ex boyfriend and current boyfriend. She had never stopped loving him but after he had left she knew she had to move on. She had gone to Savannah to find Jake for a bit and later once all the proceedings and custody got sorted out Peyton, Jake and Jenny and moved into Peyton's house where they were all currently living.

"Course I do," Lucas replied. He tried to give her a hug but she took a step back.  
"Well Well look what the cat dragged in," exclaimed Brooke who was standing on the sidelines of the court. "You have some nerve showing up here, especially how you left things."

"Brooke," stated Lucas. "How are you?" he was being sincere and wanted to know how she was.

She smirked, "This," she said gesturing to the man on her arm, "is my boyfriend David." She smirked at Lucas to show that she had moved on, popular to contrary belief.

"Wow!" replied Lucas astounded by how much had changed. Before Lucas could say anything else Peyton asked, "Do Nathan and Haley know that you're here?"  
Lucas shook his head, "I was going to head off to see them. They still at the same place?" he asked. Brooke shook her head, "they both moved into Nathan's flat the night before you left." She paused, "A lot has changed here Lucas you missed out on a lot I don't know why you have come back but I think you should leave before you get hurt." Lucas took a step back from Brooke, she had been so blunt and forward; he had never seen her like this and he was shocked yet hurt. This was Tree Hill, this was his home. He loved it; he had grown up here alongside all these people who now seemed like strangers to him.  
"Come On," said Jake to the girls and David "I think we better leave Lucas to it. Bye buddy." he said as they all walked off.

Lucas was astounded and decided to head home and think about what he had just seen and heard. He ran through the now busy streets of Tree Hill and listened to the familiar hustle and bustle of the streets. Charlotte had been so different as it was more commercialised than Tree Hill.

"Mom!" Lucas called as he stepped into the house. Karen walked into the living room as she heard Lucas' call. "Good run?" she asked. But seeing a look of distaste on his face she figured this to be the wrong question. "What's wrong? She asked.

"I stopped by the river court today," he said. Karen's face dropped.

"Did you see Nathan?" she asked?

Lucas shook his head. "Why is everyone asking me about him and Haley? Is there something I should know?"

Karen sighed, "No honey. Who did you see?"

"Peyton, Brooke, Jake and some guy named David."

"Oh Brooke's boyfriend? He's such a nice boy, helps me with the cafe sometimes. And Jake is such a sweetie. Jenny's growing up fast, god it's her third birthday in a few weeks," Karen rambled.

Lucas sighed, he knew something was up and decided that he was going to surprise Nathan and Haley to find out what was really going on.

A few hours later he pulled up at the infamous apartment 11. Grabbing his jacket he got out of the truck and headed for the apartment. It was about 11 o'clock so he thought that they should be awake. He hadn't said goodbye like he promised Haley he would and knew he was in for a yelling. He knocked on the door and waited a few moments for someone to open it. He could hear movement from behind the door. About a minute later Nathan appeared in nothing but a pair of tracksuit bottoms, he looked tired. "Luke?" he questioned in a slight groan as though he had just gotten out of bed.

"Hey man, I didn't wake you did I? I wanted to come and surprise you and Hales." Nathan stood there in shock. "I heard you guys moved in together right?" Nathan nodded dumbfounded that Lucas was still standing here. He then shook his head out of his daze.

"Come in come in," he said opening the door wider. "I'll just get Haley," he said as he walked toward the bedroom in the back.

Lucas followed him into the apartment, stopping, mid-step when he saw Haley pass the open bedroom door, covered in only a red sheet.

"Nathan, where's your sweatshirt," she asked, trying to find something to cover herself with properly.

"It's in the bathroom," he replied.

Lucas stood there in shock, unable to comprehend what he had just seen.

"Hey you," she greeted with her infamous smile, her hair was messy, but she still looked exactly how she had when he had left. She was wearing a black hoodie and nothing else.

Lucas looked at her and then away uncomfortably. "Hey. Um...I...uh. Yeah, I'm back in town for a bit and wanted to say hi, but it um looks like you're busy so um...."

Haley smiled at him again. "No. No it's ok. It's nice to see you, it has been forever I –"

Lucas cut her off; taken aback by what was going on. "No. I'm sorry.....I'm just gonna go. I'll catch you at a better time."

"No Lucas, please don't," she protested.

"Haley it's cool. I just.....," he sighed. "I thought you weren't ready. I thought you were gonna wait till you got married." Nathan come back out towards them, with a shirt, and looked at the two of them.

"Well we did. We did wait," Haley admitted, Nathan came up behind her and placed his arm over her shoulder for support. She relaxed at bit as Lucas' face changed to confusion.

"What are you talking about Hales?" he asked.

".....We got married the night before you left," she stated, waving her hand up for him to see the small gold ring on her hand. Lucas didn't know what to do or say. "We wanted to tell you, but you left without saying goodbye so we never got the chance to tell you. And we wanted to do it in person but unexpected circumstances changed us ever telling you, and then you never came back and –" she sighed.

"Oh," replied Lucas, dumbfounded. "So this is why everyone was asking if I had seen you guys."

Nathan shook his head as Haley went back into their room, "There was that, but there was something else as well." Lucas stood there expecting Nathan to tell him what the other thing was, even though he still couldn't get over the fact him and Haley were married.

"Wait, so you have been married for two years and I haven't even heard one word about it," Lucas stated.

Nathan nodded, "It was kept quiet for the first few weeks, and then we finally told everyone. We told people to keep it on the low down cause we knew word would get out to you and we wanted you to find out from us, so Karen promised us." As Nathan finished his sentence Haley came back out dressed in pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

Lucas turned away for a moment trying to collect his thoughts, at what he had just heard. He hadn't seen Haley walk out but heard a slight whisper between the two and then some shuffling. Lucas inhaled a deep breath and turned around to see Nathan and Haley standing there. Nathan was holding a little girl she couldn't have been more than a year old. "Luke," Haley said in a calm voice. "This is our daughter, Jessica." Jessica was the spitting image of Haley; she had long brown locks and big brown eyes. She waved shyly at Lucas and then hid herself in Nathan's shoulder.

Lucas stood there and thought over what he had missed: his Mom becoming happy, his best friend getting married, his ex-girlfriends happy and his little niece. Lucas smiled to himself; he wasn't going back to Charlotte anytime soon. He had missed too much and wanted to be back home, where he belonged.


End file.
